Like BJP Govts, LDF Govt in Kerala also books Muslim girls’ group over pro-Palestine protests
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Despite publicly supporting the Palestinian cause, the Left government led by Pinarayi Vijayan's police booked the Girls Islamic Organisation (GIO), slapping charges of unlawful assembly, rioting, and causing disturbance in public order during a protest against Israeli actions in Gaza.
The FIR also mentioned opposition from various organisations, though the police did not name them, and drew comparisons with repeated cases in BJP-governed states where pro-Palestine Muslim students have faced legal action for organising rallies, raising slogans, or displaying Palestinian flags.
The FIR was registered at Pazhayangadi Police Station in Kannur district against GIO Kerala General Secretary Afra Shihab and 30 other members under Sections 189(2), 191(2), and 192 read with 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
According to the suo-motu FIR, around 30 GIO workers led by Afra Shihab gathered at Madayippara without permission, allegedly with the intent to commit an offence and disturb society, and they reportedly conducted the demonstration while raising pro-Palestine slogans, flags, and banners in the environmentally significant area.
Videos of the protest showed participants chanting slogans against Israel and calling for Palestinian freedom, and the police noted that various unspecified organisations opposed the demonstration.
The protest comes amid intensifying global outrage over Israel’s actions in Gaza, where, since October 7, 2023, approximately 64,300 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, have been killed and nearly 162,005 injured, while civilians continue to endure the effects of a prolonged blockade and enforced famine.
Critics have accused the Pinarayi government of hypocrisy, highlighting the contrast between its public statements of solidarity with Palestinians and its legal actions against activists advocating the same cause.
GIO leaders framed the FIR as an example of double standards and reiterated their commitment to continue organising pro-Palestine demonstrations, and a solidarity meet is scheduled at Payyambalam Beach in Kannur on Sunday, reflecting ongoing mobilisation for Palestinian rights in India and the persistence of campus and street activism despite legal pressures.
